Learning to Read:

This is the perfect website for kids who are learning the basics or in the early stages of independent reading. Most of the good stuff is free online, although there is a paid section that gets you access to even more goodies.

There are printable books, online games, and even seasonal activities available. One of my favorite things is the FREE writing journals, available at two levels.

This is another FREE website, and I love it! It is a bunch of games to teach phonics and reading skills. The kids like it because the games feature their favorite PBS characters, like the Sesame Street gang and Martha Speaks.

Parents (and teachers) like it because of the child progress tracker. Over time, it shows what games and skills your child has been working on, and their level of skill. It is concrete data!

I also really like the built-in lesson ideas. These are great for preschool, primary, and homeschooling environments.

Similar to AR, this is a reward for reading website that focuses on reading comprehension. And the prizes are pretty sweet! From temporary tattoos to free Rocky Mountain chocolate bars, there is a LOT to read for here!

This is a great site to hit readers all over the literacy map. From spelling to synonyms to word scrambles, this website has games that cover them all (and more)! Plus, kids will like to play.

As an added bonus, there are links to real books. You can buy the books, but you can also explore the characters and settings. Plus, fun printables and online activities linked to the books. Some books even have samples you can read online.

User Accounts

All of these websites are FREE (or mostly free). But they do require user accounts. Parents and/or children can sign up, and it likely will require a username/email address. Other websites use class accounts.

Work with your teachers to find out the best way to log-in, and what to do once on the site(s). Some teachers might have specific things to accomplish.

Better than Websites…?

Yes, reading websites are great! It’s a great way to make reading and learning to read fun for our kids.